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'Amazing' Racing: Phillips to serve as 'crew chief' for Children's of Alabama fundraiser

DENISE McGILL | SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Bayleigh Phillips gives two thumbs up in the passenger seat of a racecar. Bayleigh will be featured as the “crew chief” during Racing for Children's, a fundraising event for Children's of Alabama scheduled April 5-7 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham.

BY LISA ROGERSTimes Staff Writer

Published: Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 11:56 p.m.

A ride in a racecar was not something Bayleigh Phillips had considered, but it should have been.

“This was definitely something that should have been on my bucket list all this time,” she said about her experience recently at Birmingham's Barber Motorsports Park while preparing for a the fundraising event, Racing for Children's.

The 16-year-old has been battling an inoperable brain tumor since she was 9 years old, and her treatment has been through Children's of Alabama.

Bayleigh will be featured as the “crew chief” during Racing for Children's, a fundraising event for Children's of Alabama scheduled April 5-7 at Barber. Bayleigh's handprint and that of her brother, Garrett, will be on the Children's racecar in the Grand-Am Rolex Series Porsche 250 on April 6. An auction and dinner will be held at 6:30 p.m. April 5 at the motorsports park.

The custom car will be covered by handprints of patients from Children's and will be unveiled at the hospital April 4. Bayleigh's mother, Dixie Phillips, said she was thrilled that they included Garrett's handprint on the car.

“When cancer strikes a child, it affects the entire family,” she said.

All of Bayleigh's family was able to go Barber recently for a preview about the fundraising event. They were able to meet drivers and take a ride in one of the racecars.

Brynley King, one of the organizers, said the Racing for Children's dinner event will feature renowned driver Hurley Haywood and guests will gather for a cocktail hour and mingle with other teams and drivers including Leh Keen, Andrew Davis, APR and Foyt Racing.

Last year, Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey was among the drivers attending.

Bayleigh will be featured during the event, and King said he hopes more people from the Gadsden area will get involved in the dinner and fundraising events.

For Bayleigh it has been an unforgettable experience already.

“The drivers were absolutely incredible,” she said. “It was so crazy to me that the track was so much like a roller coaster. I'm so grateful that I had the amazing opportunity to go.”

Bayleigh is excited about participating in the event, but she and her family hardly ever pass on an opportunity to help raise money for Children's of Alabama.

“This is such a worthy cause,” she said. “It's so nice to know that people like these (race car drivers and enthusiasts) think about us and are willing to help raise money for many things in the cancer world.”

Bayleigh was diagnosed with the tumor when she was 9, 10 days after her sister, Lola, was born.

She had been seeing double for about a month and didn't tell anyone. She just thought she needed glasses.

As soon as she told her mom and dad, Dixie and Johnny Phillips, they took her to an eye specialist, who quickly referred her to another doctor.

She was diagnosed with the brain tumor and sent to Children's of Alabama.

The tumor was entwined in her brain, and doctors were unable to surgically remove it.

She has had many chemo treatments and radiation, as well as several surgeries and other treatments.

The tumor remains.

Normal for the Phillipses has become fitting treatments in with school and family activities and finding time for fundraising efforts and awareness about childhood cancer.

It is Bayleigh's story and others like her that drives King to raise money for Children's of Alabama through Racing for Children's.

As part of the fundraiser, patients from Children's spend a day at the racetrack to meet drivers and others who are working to raise money.

“The kids are delighted,” King said. “They forget about their obstacles and challenges for a little while.”

King has been involved with Racing for Children's for the last six years. They kicked off the first formal event at the Porsche 250 in 2011.

King works at J.P. King Auction Co. but is not related to the King family. However, Christie King, one of the principle partners in the auction company, is involved in the auction portion of the event.

She also has C King Benefit Auctions, a nonprofit organization that conducts auctions for charities.

The organization has helped Children's of Alabama raise money during several auctions.

“We started with Racing for Children's in 2011 and have picked up additional events for Children's during the three years,” Christie King said.

She said they have helped raise $300,000 since they began.

Corporate tables are available at $2,000 each for the dinner and auction, King said. Individual seats also are available.

About 15 or so high-quality items have been donated for the auction, including a VIP tour of the Barber Motorsports Park museum and hot laps, South African photo safari and a Porsche Driving School experience.

“I'd love to see Gadsden business owners and the people of Gadsden get behind this so we can continue to raise money to provide better treatment and continued research for Children's of Alabama,” King said.

King said they are seeking sponsors for the patient experience and need guests to bid on several first-class items and one-of-a-kind items during the dinner and auction event.

“Not only will you meet many popular drivers and others, but you'll be helping children and families in their times of need,” King said.

Bayleigh is one many children from the Gadsden area who have been or are patients at Children's of Alabama.

“This means so much to me because I know that this will not only benefit me, or my friends that are on treatment, but this will also benefit all the children in the years to come until there is a cure,” Bayleigh said.

King said they have raised over $300,000 in contributions for the Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorder Center at Children's of Alabama.

“We want to do so much more. The money raised so far has allowed cancer researchers to be hired and many families helped,” he said.

Children's of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children since 1911, offering inpatient and outpatient services throughout Alabama. Last year, families made more than 634,000 outpatient and nearly 14,000 inpatient visits to Children's from every county in Alabama and from 47 other states. With more than 2 million square feet, Children's is the third largest pediatric medical facility in the U.S. and has been ranked among the top children's hospital programs in the country for the past three years by US News & World Report. More information is available at www.childrensal.org.

King said tickets can be purchased or more information can be obtained at http://www.racingforchildrens.org. He said select “Registration” in the contents; click “Dinner & Handprint Registration” tab to make a donation and reserve a table.

Information also is available at http://barbermotorsports.com or by calling King at 256-656-5855.

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